• by Sarah Mahoney , September 15, 2025

Carvana is teaming up with Shaquille O’Neal, using AI to inject some fun into the car-shopping experience. The campaign, dubbed Shaqvana, includes TV ads, a dedicated microsite, curated vehicle picks, and the debut of Shaqbot, a tech-powered assistant that brings O’Neal’s trademark voice and humor into the buying journey.

Built on years of Carvana’s AI use, Shaqbot uses real voice recordings and custom response logic to help customers browse inventory and answer questions. “It does have a bit of a sizzle element,” says Ryan Keeton, Carvana co-founder and chief brand officer. “Because it works with natural language, it combines with our proprietary data in some fun and unique ways.”

Keeton tells Marketing Daily the effort builds on Carvana’s growing reputation as a technology-driven company. “Plenty of brands are using an AI component as a gimmick. But we’re a tech-focused company, with plenty of experience, and we’ve been able to leverage what we’ve learned from years of AI use into this experience.”

He adds that the Shaqbot is agentic, meaning it can take some initiative and search on a user’s behalf rather than just waiting for inputs.

While O’Neal has dozens of endorsements, Keeton insists this partnership goes deeper. “Shaq is a business man – it’s not like he makes appearances for every brand that hits him up. That’s what made this arrangement, which is a long-term partnership, a no-brainer for us.”

Keeton says the relationship began after Carvana’s NASCAR partnership with Jimmie Johnson, who raced with a Shaq-inspired paint scheme at the Daytona 500. “Shaq took an interest in how Carvana was flipping the car buying and selling process on its head,” Keeton says.

Beyond Shaqbot, the campaign features national broadcast and digital ads, social content and a “Shaq Filter” that highlights vehicles matching O’Neal’s favorite specs: roomy interiors, horsepower, sunroofs and more. The partnership even calls for occasional Shaq cameos on Carvana’s helpline.

“It’s about building a national brand. We want consideration, high awareness,” Keeton says. “He’s not just in the ads. He’s in the experience.”